Real Madrid will go into tomorrow's Champions League opener against Manchester
City looking to spark a turnaround after a poor start that has presented
coach Jose Mourinho with perhaps his toughest test yet at the Spanish club.

Ready for battle: Jose Mourinho is confidenmt his players will give their all for victory against Man CityPhoto: GETTY IMAGES

By Telegraph Sport

5:21PM BST 17 Sep 2012

Madrid will host the Premier League champions on the back of only one victory in four league games, leaving it eight points behind leader Barcelona.

Cristiano Ronaldo's pouting has perhaps played a part in Madrid's stumbles but Mourinho is also under scrutiny after publicly criticising his team's play, which has appeared meek since beating Barcelona to win the Spanish Super Cup last month.

Mourinho said Monday his relationship with his players had not changed after Saturday's 1-0 loss at Seville, adding he wouldn't make changes just for the sake of sending a message.

"I will try to field the team that I think will show up," said Mourinho. "I'm convinced that tomorrow I'll have a team out there. Maybe we won't be as relaxed, or filled with the same conviction and confidence we usually have against an opponent like City, coming off a game which was terrible.

"I'm sure we'll be at our best. I could be wrong, but that's what I think."

Madrid's timing couldn't be worse with the Premier League champions visiting the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium to open a tough Group D, in which neither can afford many slip-ups with German champion Borussia Dortmund and Dutch champion Ajax also in the mix.

There has been little positive to spin from Madrid's start to Mourinho's third season in charge, as all hopes are on the European title since the Portuguese coach has won every other trophy available since his arrival from Inter Milan in 2010.

Mourinho is already downplaying expectations, however.

"The Champions League motivates me as much as the league does. Playing Manchester City motivates me as much as playing Getafe," Mourinho said. "It's like any other game. That's just the natural aspect of my job."

Madrid's home form has at least been spectacular in the competition with only one loss – to Barcelona – in 12 matches, and it scored 24 goals in six games last season. Tuesday's match will present Ronaldo's first return to the Bernabeu since declaring he was "sad" for "professional reasons."

City could have the resources to exploit any lapses with Sergio Aguero expected to return from injury, and fellow striker Mario Balotelli also back. Playmaking midfielder David Villa should start after coming off the bench in City's 1-1 draw against Stoke on Saturday, when former Madrid player Javi Garcia marked his debut with a goal.

Carlos Tévez has scored three goals to continue his City rejuvenation one year after refusing to play against Bayern Munich in the Champions League. That led to the Argentina striker being cast aside for six months, but he has returned stronger and could even offer Mourinho a lesson on treating his own unhappy star players.

"Carlos is improved with his behaviour," City manager Roberto Mancini said. "He worked serious in preseason. I think he is another player with us."

Mancini, who is without defender Micah Richards, wants a better start from his team in the competition this time around after failing to get past the group stage in its debut last season.

"Our first game in Madrid will be very important, not only for the result but for our mentality going forward. We have a very tough group again this year," the Italian coach said. "Maybe you can be lucky some time but it's difficult for us, like it is for Madrid, Borussia and Ajax."

Dortmund, meanwhile, is hoping to make a bigger impact in the competition after finishing bottom of its group on its return to the competition last season.

The Bundesliga champions at least warmed up with a comprehensive 3-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday to stretch its unbeaten league run to 31 games.

"That's the football that we want to and have to play if we want to be successful," Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp said ahead of Ajax's trip to Germany. "We've set the bar at where we need to be in the next days."